Railway-switch.



A. M. THBEEWITS.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

(Application filed Apr. 1, 1899.) I (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet No. 632,289. Patented Sept. 5. I899.-

A. M. THREEWITS.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

(Application filed Apr, 1. 1899.)

(No Model.)

Patented Sept.- 5, I899.

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No. 632,289. Patented Sept. 5,1999.

A. m. THREEWITS.

RAILWAY SWITGH.

(Application filed Apr. 1, 1899.)

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NITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

RAI LWAY- SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,289, dated September 5, 1899 Application filed April 1, 1399. Serial No. 711,430. (No model.)

T at whom/it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALVIN M. THREEWITs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Centreville, in the county of Wayne and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Railway-Switch, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway-switches, and has for its object to provide a simple and efficient construction of combined switch and frog for use in connection with railway turn-. outs or siding tracks, the carriers for the switch and frog rails being connected for simultaneous adjustment, whereby the movement of the former to one position or the other insures the proper adjustment of the latter to provide a continuous track.

My invention consists particularly in the means whereby the main and auxiliary switchrails or the switch and frog rails are supported for transverse movement to arrange them respectively in alinement with the fixed main and siding track rails and also in the means whereby motion is communicated from the switch-rail carrier to the frog-rail carrier.

My invent-ion also has for its object to pro-; vide means whereby the accidental or malicious displacement of the switch and frog rails may be prevented.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following descrip-v tion, and the novel'features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are plan views of a switch mechanism constructed in accordance with'my invention arranged, respectively, in the main-track and siding-track positions. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the means for communicating motion to and supporting the main switch-rail carrier or plate,: the latter being partly broken away. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the plane indicated by the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail view in perspective of the guide and means for communicating motion from the switchbar to the bell-crank operating-lever. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of the same on the plane indicated by the line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 7 is a detail View of one end of the switchbar. Fig. Sis a plan view of the auxiliary switch or frog rail carriers, partly broken 20". elevated to form rail-seats 23, which are flush away to show the operating devices therefor.

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section of the same on the line 9 9 of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a transverse section on the plane indicated by the line 10 10 of Figs. Sand 9.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the draw- 'ings.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention themain-track-rails lland siding-track rails 12 are relatively arranged, as in the ordinary practice, with the inner main and'siding track rails intersecting at a point more or less remote from the turnout or point of intersection of the correspondingrails of the two tracks, pairs of main and siding switchrails 13 and 14: being arranged atsaid turnout for respective alinement with the main and siding track rails and corresponding pairs of main and siding frog rails 15 and 16 being arranged adjacent to the intersection of the inner main and siding track rails.

The main and siding switch-rails are supported by a carrier 17, consisting of a plate which is mounted fortransverse sliding movement with relation to the lines of the rails to adapt either the main or the siding switchrails to be alined, respe ctively,,with the main and siding track rails, and motion is communicated to this switch-rail carrier by means of a switch-bar 18, which may be actuated manually through an ordinary switch stand,

which, as it forms no part of my present in- 'vention, is not illustrated in the drawings.

Beneath the switch-rail carrier I have provided subties 19, which are depressed below the plane of the main or usual ties and support sills 21, preferably of metal and constructed as castings or otherwise with raised terminals forming rests 22, which are let into the adjacent marginal or bounding main ties The terminal portions of these rests are with the upper surfaces of said border-ties 20, and to them are spiked the adjacent extremities of the stationary main and siding track rails, said rails being extended inwardly beyond the adjacent edges of thecarrierplate to form retaining fingers or guides 13, which overlap and bear upon the upper surface of the carrier-plate to prevent the upward displacement thereof, while allowing the described transverse movement of the same. Also to reduce the friction due to the transverse movement of the carrier-plate I preferably provide the rests 22 with bearingrollers 23, which are suitably mounted in cavities formed in the rests, with the uppermost points of their surfaces set down from the plane of the upper surfaces of the trackseats 23 a distance which is equal to the thickness of the carrierplate-usually about three-fourths of an inch in practice. The sills 21 are preferably disposed to bisect the angle formed by the main and siding track rails and allow the main and siding switchrails to be arranged approximately thereover or in such positions with relation thereto as to insure the proper support of said switch rails to prevent sagging of the carrier-plate. Obviously the switch-rails terminate short of the terminal edges of the carrier-plate to match accurately with the stationary trackrails. Also to protect the mechanism which is housed beneath the carrier-plate and be tween the sills I employ stationary guardplates 24, secured to the outer sides of the sil s.

Depending from the carrier plate is a hanger 25, consisting of a pin suitably bolted to the under side of the plate, and by means of this hanger motion is communicated to the carrier from the switch-bar 1S. I prefer, however, not to connect said switcl1-bar directly to the hanger, but to interpose a bell-crank lever 26, fulerumed upon a bracket 27, projecting inwardly from one of the sills and having a slotted terminal 28, which engages the pin 25. The switch-bar also is provided with a slotted terminal 29, which engages that arm of the bell-crank lever which is pro- .vided With said slotted terminal 28, whereby a limited movement of the switch-bar independently of the bell-crank lever is possible before motion is communicated to the latter. Transversely connecting the sills is a tie-bar 3 and secured to the tie-bar adjacent to one of the sills is a guide-bar 31, having a guidechannel 32, in which the switeh-bar operates and by which it is held from lateral vibration. The long arm of the bell-crank lever also opcrates in a longitudinal slot 33 of said guidebar, the length of said slot being equal to the throw of the carrier-plate. Also to secure the carrier-plate in either of its adjusted positions I employ locking devices 3i and 35, each of which consists of a locking-pin 36, mounted upon the guide-bar for transverse movement and adapted to engage an opening 37 in the bell-crank switch-lever 20, and a trip-lever 38, connected with said locking-pin and adapted for actuation by a trip-cam 39, carried by the switch-bar. \Vith the switchlever in one of its adjusted positions the movement of the switch-bar to adjust said switchdever first causes the operation of the trip-lever to withdraw the locking-pin and release the switch-lever, after which the extremity of the slotted terminal 29 of the switch-bar comes in contact with the switchleverand communicates motion thereto. Obviously the other switch-cam withdraws the second locking-pin as the switch-lever approaches the new position and subsequently releases said locking-pin to allow the engagement thereof with the switch-lever when the latter reaches the desired position. The locking-pins are spring-actuated to yieldingly hold them in their normal or looking positions.

The frog-rails and 16 are arranged in pairs, as are the switch-rails, but are adapted for respective alinement with each othernamely, the frog-rails 15 are adapted for aline ment with each other and also with the maintrack rails, while the frog-rails 16 are adapted for alinement with each other and with the siding-track rails, said frog-rails being arranged to converge toward their inner ends. Said pairs of frog-rails are secured, respectively, to frog-rail carriers and 41, consisting of plates similarto the carrier-plate 17 and adapted for simultaneous movement in opposite directions to cause the above-described respective alinement of the rails 15 and 16. These frog-rail carriers are connected for simultaneous movement in opposite directions by means of a rocking lever 12, fulcrumed at an intermediate point upon a fixed support and having slotted or sliding connections at its terminals with the plates 40 and 41. Preferably said sliding connections consist of slot ted terminals 43 and il, engaging hangers or .pins and -16, depending, respectively, from the plates 40 and &1. In the mounting of the frog-rail carriers I employ a constru ctionsimilar to that above described in connection with the switch-rail carrier in that it comprises sills 21, provided with terminal rests 22, having slightly-raised rail-seats 33",which are let'into the inner sides of border-sills 2O and are flush with the upper surfaces of said sills for the attachment thereto of the adjacent portions of the stationary track-rails, depressed subties 19, and guard-plates 24:, secured permanently to the outer sides of said sills. Said sills, however, are provided with intermediate carrier-rests 22 which, in common with the terminal rests 22, support bearing-rollers 23 also, the rests 22 are connected by a transverse tie-bar 30, which is flush with the upper surfaces of the rests, and to this tie-bar is fulcrumed the reversing or rocking lever 42; also, the extremities of the stationary track-rails project inwardly over the surfaces of the frog-rail carriers to form retaining fingers or projections 13", and the frog-rail carriers are provided near their inner ends with keepers 13, depending from the carrier-plates and engaged with-thelever 12 to prevent upward displacement of said inner ends of the keepers.

In order that simultaneous operation of the switch and frog rail carriers may be accomplished, I employ an auxiliary bell-crank operating-lever 47, fulerumed upon a bracket 48, extending inward from one of the sills and having a slotted terminal 49 engaging the hanger 45 and a connecting-rod 50 be tween the other arm of the auxiliary operatnals of said rod and the two bell-crank levers being employed. Also the connecting-rod is preferably incased in a tubular guide or shield 51.

From the above description it will be seen that when the switch-bar 18 is moved'to open the main track, as indicated in Fig. 1, by alining the main switch-rails with the maintrack rails, a corresponding and simultaneous movement in opposite directions is imparted to the frog-rail carriers to cause the alinement of the main frog-rails 15 with the maintrack rail, and also that the locking of the main operating-lever in the adjusted position correspondingly secures all parts of the mechanism until the switch-bar is moved, as hereinbefore described, to release said main operating-lever in the act of readjusting the switch mechanism.

It will be seen, furthermore, that for the construction described a comparatively small movement of the carrier-plates is necessary to cause an accurate alinement of the switch and frog rails with the track-rails to provide a continuous or open track and that accidental or malicious displacement of the switch or frog rail carriers is prevented by the interlocking connection between the switch and frog rail carriers and the adjacent portions of the stationary members of the road.

It will be understood, furthermore, that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of constructionwithin the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is.-

1. In a railway switch mechanism, the combination with main and siding track rails, of switch-rail and frog-rail carriers mounted for transverse movement with relation to the track-rails, and connected for simultaneous adj ustment, switch and frog rails supported respectively .by said carriers, and means for moving the carriers simultaneously in opposite directions to alternately aline the rails thereon with the track-rails, substantially as specified.

2. In a railway switch mechanism, the combination with main and siding track rails, of a switch-rail carrier provided with switch-rai Is and mounted for transverse movement with relation to the road-bed, cooperating frog-rail carriers provided respectively with frog-rails and mounted for relative transverse movement, means for operating one of the carriers, and means between the carriers; where, when the switch-rail carrier is moved in one direction, the frog-rail carriers are simultaneously moved in relatively opposite directions to cause the alinement of corresponding frograils thereof with one of the adjacent trackrails, substantially as specified.

3. In a railway switch mechanism, the com bination with main and siding track rails, of cooperating terminally-adjacent frog-rail carriers mounted for transverse movement with relation to the track-rails, and respectively carrying frog-rails for alinement in pairs, and meansforcommunicatingsimultaneous movement in opposite directions to said carriers, substantially as specified;

at. In a railway switch mechanism, the'combination with main and siding track rails, of terminally-adjacent frog-rail carriers mounted for transverse movement with relation to the track-rails, a pair of frog-rails arranged upon each carrier and occupying fixed positions with relation to each other, the correspending frog-rails upon the said carriers being adapted for respective alinement with each other and with the track-rails, and means for communicating simultaneous movement in opposite directions to the said carriers, substantially as specified.

5. In a railway switch mechanism, the combination with main and siding track rails, and terminally adjacent frog rail carriers provided with frog-rails adapted for alinement in pairs, an intermediately-fulcrumed reversinglever having terminal connection respectively with said carriers,and means foractuating one of the carriers, substantially as specified.

6. In a railway switch mechanism, the combination with main and siding track rails, of terminallyadjacent frog rail carriers provided with frog-rails for respective alinement in pairs, and adapted for simultaneous movement in opposite directions, a horizontal reversing-lever having terminal connection respectively with the carriers, means for maintaining the remote extremities of the carriers in operative relation with the adjacent extremities of the track-rails, guiding-keepers depending from the adjacent extremities of the carriers, and engaging said reversinglever, and means for actuating one of the carriers, substantially as specified.

7. In a railway switch mechanism, the combination with main and siding track rails, of terminally adjacent frog-rail carriers provided with frog-rails for respective alinement in pairs, and adapted for simultaneous'movement in opposite directions, sills arranged approximately parallel with the track-rails and provided with rests for the carriers, a tie-bar transversely connecting the sills, a reversing-lever fulcrumed upon said tie-bar and having terminal connection respectively with the carriers, guiding-keepers depending from the adjacent extremities of the carriers and engaged with the reversing-lever to prevent vertical displacement of the carriers, and means for actuating one of the carriers, substantially as specified.

8. In a railway switch mechanism, the combination with main and siding track rails, of terminally-adjacent frograil carriers mounted for transverse movement with relation to the track-rails and carrying frog-rails for respective alinement in pairs, hangers depending from the carriers, an intermediately-fulcrumed reversing-lever having sliding terminal connection with said hangers, a bell-crank lever fulcrumed upon a fixed support and having a sliding connection with the hanger of one of the carriers, and means, including a rod connected with said lever, for actuating said connected carriers, substantially as specified.

9. In arailway switch mechanism, the combination with main and siding track rails, of a switch-rail carrier mounted for transverse movement with relation to the track-rails, longitudinal sills having rests for supporting the carrier and arranged to bisect the angles formed between the main and siding track rails, transverse tie-bars connected with the sills and means mounted upon the switch-bar for actuating the carrier, substantially as specified.

10. In a railway switch mechanism, the combination with main and siding track rails, of a switch-rail carrier mounted for transverse movement with relation to the trackrails, longitudinal sills having rests for sup? porting the carrier and arranged to bisect the angles between the main and siding track rails, atransverse tie-bar connecting the sills, a guide supported by the tie-bar, and a switchbar mounted in the guide and connected with the carrier, substantially as specified.

11. In a railway switch mechanism, the combination with main and siding track rails, of a switch-rail carrier mounted for transverse movement with relation to the trackrails, longitudinal sills provided with rests for supporting the carrier, aswitch-bar operatively connected with the carrier, and guardplates secured to and supported by the sills, substantially as specified.

, 12. In a railway switch mechanism, the combination with main and siding track rails, of a switch-rail carrier mounted for transverse movement with relation to the trackrails, transverse border-ties arranged adjacent to the terminal edges of the carrier, sills terminally let into and secured to said border-ties and provided with means for supporting the carrier, and means for actuating the carrier, substantially as specified.

13. In a railway switch mechanism,'the combination with main and siding track rails, of a switch rail carrier mounted for transverse movement with relation to the trackrails, transverse border-ties arranged adjacent to the terminal edges of the carrier, sills let into and secured to the border-ties, and provided,fiush with the upper surfaces of said ties, with rail-seats, to which the adjacent portions of the track-rails are secured, said sills having means for supporting the carrier, and actuating devices for the carrier, substantially as specified.

14. In a railway switch mechanism, the combination with main and siding track rails, of a switch-rail carrier mounted for transverse movement with relation to the trackrails, transverse bordering-ties arranged adj acent to and parallel with the terminal edges of the carrier, longitudinal carrier-supporting sills terminally secured to the borderingties and provided with rail-seats to which the adjacent portions of the track-rails are secured, subties supporting the sills, and means for actuating the carrier, substantially as specified.

15. In a railway switch mechanism, the combination with main and siding track rails, of a switch-rail carrier mounted for trans-- verse movement with relation to the track rails, a switch-lever having a fixed fulcrum and a sliding connection with the carrier, a switch-bar having a sliding connection with said switch-lever, locking devices forsecuring the switch-leverin its adjusted positions, and trip mechanism actuated by the switch-bar for releasing the switch-lever, substantially as specified.

16. In a railway switch mechanism, the combination with main and siding track rails, of a switch -rail carrier mounted for transverse movement with relation to the trackrails, a switch -lever-having a fixed fulcrum and a sliding connection with the carrier, a stationary guide in which said switch-lever operates, a switch-bar mounted in said guide and having a sliding connection with the switch-lever, spring-actuated locking-pins for securing the switch-lever in its adjusted positions, and tripping devices for said pins, each having one member connected with a pin, and the other member carried by .the switch-bar, substantially as specified.

17. In a railway switch mechanism, the combtnation with main and siding track rails, of a switch rail carrier mounted for transverse movement with relation to the trackrails, a switch-lever having a fixed fulcrum and a sliding connection with the carrier, a fixed guide-bar in which the free end of the switch-leveris mounted, a switch-bar mounted in a channel in said guide-bar and having a sliding connection with the switch-lever, locking-pins mounted upon the guide-bar for respective engagement with the switch-lever inits adjusted positions, trip-levers connected with the locking-pins, and trip-cams carried by the switch-bar for actuating said triplevers to withdraw the locking-pins from engagement with the switch-lever, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALVIN M. THREEW'ITS.

\Vitnesses:

WILLIAM E. WINEBURG, FRANK STIENs. 

